An adolescent monkey observes its mother responding fearfully to a snake. Later, the adolescent monkey responds with fear when shown a snake. This is an illustration of the _________ theory of phobia.

Question

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The scenario describes how the adolescent monkey learns to fear snakes from observing its mother's fearful behavior, which is an example of vicarious learning. The avoidance conditioning theory suggests that phobias are developed through negative experiences with a specific stimulus. The psychoanalytic theory suggests that phobias arise from unresolved unconscious conflicts. The two-factor theory suggests that phobias develop from both classical conditioning and negative reinforcement. None of these theories best describe the scenario presented in the question.

An Adolescent Monkey Observes Its Mother Responding Fearfully to a Snake